Categories: Network Events
01.26.2024
On Thursday, January 25th the Network joined tenants nominated for the Network’s 2023 Outstanding Tenant of the Year award with supportive housing staff at Robin Hood Foundation’s headquarters.
Every year the Network honors outstanding tenants of the year at our annual awards gala. At the nominee breakfast, we celebrate and honor the incredible nominees who have exhibited strength, self-empowerment and growth while living in supportive housing and have made a difference in their supportive housing residence and/or larger community. We also provide tenants with a certificate of recognition for their achievements.
Network Executive Director Pascale Leone kicked off the program. To tenants she said, “I am standing before such incredible leaders. When you think of leaders, you think of folks who inspire, and command and that is all of you.” To staff she said, “You serve as beacons of hope and strength. You literally save lives everyday and there is a debt owed to you that current and future funding won’t even begin to touch.”
Tenants and staff then had space to speak to their experience, inspiring everyone in the room:
“As a peer specialist I ran 15 groups for 22 hours. Not only did I love what I did. It gave me a sense of purpose that I didn’t have. Now for the first time, I wasn’t just a diagnosis. I was a person” – Gerald J.
“The supportive part [of supportive housing] is what got me through. If it wasn’t for my case manager I don’t know where my life would be. I thought it was over and Shevon dug me out of it, literally.” – Victor W.
“I have all of these diagnoses, but I don’t give it any power.” – Cesar F.
“There is a scripture Job 23:10, ‘But He knows the way I take; When He has tried me, I shall come forth as gold.’ And I am the gold right now.” “Thank you to my case manager, Ms. Williams for helping to bring me peace." – Troy J.
“Being here this morning is a reminder of why I do what I do. There are folks here who are committed, who have seen the things within us that we haven’t seen in ourselves and they show up for us every day. We also have a common thread of not letting what we have gone through define who we are.” – Will W.
“Kenmore Hall took care of me. I try to help people there who need help and take them on like my mother.” – Lucille G.
“My happy beginning began when I had my daughter.” – Marisol V.
“My life drastically changed to happiness and living the best life in Brooklyn. Thank you to my case manager, every single day she supports me.” – Mina S.
Congratulations to the incredible tenant of the year nominees and thank you for being a beacon of light and hope in your communities. Thank you to the supportive housing staff who recognized their tenants and show up for them every day and to Robin Hood for the generous use of your beautiful space.